Giorgia Meloni Meeting With Trump At His Mar-A-Lago Estate Days Before Biden Set To Visit Rome

Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, paid a brief visit to Donald Trump’s Florida golf club on Saturday, where the US president-elect praised the far-right leader for “really taking Europe by storm.”

The two were photographed in the grand ballroom of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. The five-hour visit occurred just days before Meloni is scheduled to host Joe Biden in Rome for what is anticipated to be his final foreign trip as president.

“This is very exciting,” Trump said to a gathered group at Mar-a-Lago, according to a media pool report. “I’m here with a fantastic woman, the prime minister of Italy. She’s really taken Europe by storm.”

Several potential members of Trump’s future administration were present at the event, including Marco Rubio, who is being considered for secretary of state. Rubio welcomed Meloni to Florida, describing her as a “great ally, strong leader,” according to Wall Street Journal reporter Alex Leary.

The group then viewed the premiere of The Eastman Dilemma: Lawfare or Justice, a documentary about Trump’s former lawyer, John Eastman, and his efforts to keep Trump in power after the 2020 US presidential election.

No official agenda for the visit was disclosed, but it was reported that Meloni focused on the case of Cecilia Sala, an Italian journalist held in solitary confinement in Iran.

Giorgia Meloni Meeting With Trump
Giorgia Meloni Meeting With Trump

Sala was arrested in December on charges of violating Islamic law, allegedly in retaliation for the US-backed arrest of a Swiss-Iranian businessman and suspected arms trafficker at Milan’s Malpensa Airport. Italy has been urging the immediate release of Sala from Tehran’s infamous Evin prison.

Other topics reportedly discussed during the visit included the ongoing war in Ukraine, gas supplies, and potential new US tariffs on EU goods.

This marks the second time Meloni has met with Trump since his victory in the 2020 US elections. When they met in Paris in early December for the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral, Trump referred to Meloni as “a real live-wire.”

Before assuming office in October 2022, Meloni, leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party, had been a vocal supporter of Trump, viewing his political style as a model for Italy. She frequently attended his political events and rallies. However, since becoming prime minister, she has also carefully cultivated a positive relationship with President Biden and reinforced Italy’s commitment to its Atlanticist alliances.

Observers suggest that Meloni’s alignment with Trump on issues like immigration and abortion, as well as her strong ties with Trump’s billionaire ally Elon Musk, could position her as Trump’s primary point of contact in Europe.

Biden is set to arrive in Rome on Thursday for a four-day visit, during which he will meet with Meloni and Pope Francis.

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